NUS SGUnited Skills Programme

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NUS SGUnited Skills Programme

The NUS SGUnited Skills programme is intended for professionals who have been affected by the economic impact of COVID-19. It is a full-time training programme designed to help jobseekers acquire and apply industry-relevant skills to improve employability. To facilitate transition to employment as and when job opportunities are available, the NUS SGUnited Skills programme is delivered through stackable Professional Certificates and other bite-size online courses.

Trainees will receive a training allowance of $1,200 per month from SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) for the duration of the programme, in order to cover their basic expenses. Course fees are also subsidised by SSG, and trainees can use their SkillsFuture Credit to offset the remainder of the course fees (after subsidies, for example, a 6-month programme has a net fee of $500). For more information, please visit SSG’s website.

NUS will provide career-related webinars and connect trainees to government agencies and relevant employers to help them in their job search. However, NUS cannot guarantee job placement at the end of the programme even though it will make the utmost effort to support trainees in their job search.

Learning Pathway and Description of Common Programme Structure*

The sequence of the learning pathway for NUS SGUnited Skills programme is as follows.

In the first month of NUS SGUnited Skills programme, all participants will take a common Professional Certificate in Human and Automated Managerial Skills. In the second month, participants will move into their respective tracks in Data and Artificial Intelligence Literacies (DAIL). From the third to fifth month, participants will take up sector-specific Professional and Technology Literacies (PTL) training. All programmes will conclude with 1-4 months of project work.

Human & Managerial Literacies (HML)

This aspect of the programme focuses on building participants’ competencies in interconnecting systems, machines and people so that he/she can make sense of complex information, communicate with colleagues and clients, and make adjustments quickly.

Digital and Artificial Intelligence Literacies (DAIL)

This aspect of the programme focuses on building participants’ competencies in understanding, analysing and using information from digital tools and artificial intelligence appropriately to aid them in their work.

Professional and Technology Literacies (PTL)

This aspect of the programme focuses on building participants’ competencies in using up-to-date and relevant technology to enhance their effectiveness and productivity.

Industry Focus

NUS will be rolling out programmes for the following sectors.

Sector	Programme	Programme Duration
Advanced Manufacturing	NUS SGUS Programme in Manufacturing Robotics and Automation (Closed for registration)	6 months
Construction / Facilities Management	NUS SGUS Programme in 5D BIM for Built Environment Professionals	6 months
Professional Services	NUS SGUS Programme in International Financial Technology (FinTech) for non-Technical Executives	9 months

Eligibility

The NUS SGUnited Skills programme is open to Singaporean Citizen or Permanent Resident mid-career jobseekers.

Application Process

Please follow the application process below:

1. Apply for the SGUS programme of your choice.

2. Your application will be reviewed by our faculty – we want to ensure that you have the pre-requisites to succeed in the programme. Suitable candidates will receive a programme offer. Please look out for the offer email.

3. When you receive the offer email with the programme registration details, proceed to register yourself. We can only confirm your place in the programme with your registration.

Cost

The NUS SGUnited Skills programme is subsidised by SkillsFuture Singapore; trainees will pay a net fee of $500 for a 6-month programme, or $750 for a 9-month programme. You may pay this fee with your SkillsFuture Credit (SFC), if you have sufficient balance in your SFC account.

Recruitment

Employers who are interested in recruiting the trainees in the NUS SGUnited Skills programme are welcome to write to us at ask.scale@nus.edu.sg.

Employees of SGUnited Skills programme trainees are entitled to the Enhanced Hiring Incentive, which is part of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. It covers local workers of all ages, with increased support for those aged 40 and above.

Salary support

Employers that hire a local worker aged 40 and above who had gone through the NUS SGUnited Skills programme can receive salary support of 40% for six months, capped at $12,000 in total.

Employers that hire a local worker aged below 40 who had gone through the NUS SGUnited Skills programme can receive salary support of 20% for six months, capped at $6,000 in total.

For more information, please visit SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore’s SGUnited Jobs and Skills website.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. Who can apply for the NUS SGUnited Skills Programme?

Singaporean Citizen or Permanent Resident mid-career jobseekers can apply for the NUS SGUnited Skills Programme. We also recommend that you check that you meet the pre-requisites for our programmes in the relevant sector before you apply.

2. Who is the NUS SGUnited Skills Programme suitable for?

The NUS SGUnited Skills Programme website lists the pre-requisites for each sector’s programme (NUS offers training programmes in a few sectors). The pre-requisites give a sense of the target audience and suitable applicants for each programme.

Application Process

1. How do I apply? Do you have an application form?

a. Apply for the SGUS programme of your choice.

b. Your application will be reviewed by our faculty – we want to ensure that you have the pre-requisites to succeed in the programme. Suitable candidates will receive a programme offer. Please look out for the offer email.

c. When you receive the offer email with the programme registration details, proceed to register yourself. We can only confirm your place in the programme with your registration.

2. Do I need to have an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree?

NUS offers SGUnited Skills programmes in a few sectors, and each sector has its own pre-requisites. Most sectors will require a polytechnic diploma at minimum.

Job placement

1. Will NUS help to find me a job?

NUS will provide career-related webinars and connect trainees to government agencies and relevant employers to help them in their job search. However, NUS cannot guarantee job placement at the end of the 6-month programme even though it will make the utmost effort to support trainees in their job search.

2. Can I drop out halfway if I find a job? Will I be penalised?

Please refer to the FAQs at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)’s SGUnited Skills website:

“The programmes allow trainees to exit without penalty if they are successfully placed into a job or have secured a job on their own accord while undergoing training. However, trainees who exit the programme without a valid reason may be asked to return the course fee subsidy that they have received.”

3. Can I drop out halfway even if I don’t find a job, if I don’t feel the course is suitable for me? Will I be penalised?

Please refer to the FAQs at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)’s SGUnited Skills website:

Training

1. Will the NUS SGUnited Skills Programme I complete count towards any NUS undergraduate or post-graduate degree?

No, the NUS SGUnited Skills Programme is non-credit bearing and cannot count towards any NUS undergraduate or post-graduate degree.

2. Can I defer the training if I have to disrupt the training?

Please refer to the FAQs at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)’s SGUnited Skills website:

“As the SGUS is a full-time training programme, existing trainees and jobseekers should not apply for the programme if they are unable to commit to full-time training over the six to 12-month training duration.”

3. Will existing trainees under other programmes be allowed to join the NUS SGUnited Skills programme?

As the NUS SGUnited Skills programme is a full-time training programme, existing trainees and jobseekers should not apply for the programme if they are unable to commit to full-time training over the six to 12-month training duration.

4. Will trainees who fail the programme be required to refund the course fee subsidy?

Similar to existing requirements for other training grants administered by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), trainees must fulfill minimum attendance requirements and pass the assessments to qualify for course fee subsidies. Trainees who are unable to meet these requirements may be asked to return the course fee subsidies that they have received.

Course Fee

1. When do I have to pay the training fees?

Please refer to the FAQs at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)’s SGUnited Skills website:

“The nett fees are to be paid upfront.” The nett fee for NUS’ 6-month SGUnited Skills Programme is $500; the rest is subsidised by SSG.

2. Can I use SkillsFuture (SF) Credit to pay the training? What if I do not have enough SF credits?

Please refer to the FAQs at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)’s SGUnited Skills website:

“Yes, trainees can use their SkillsFuture Credit top-up and additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support) for SGUS programmes once they are enrolled, even before 1 Oct 2020 when those top-ups will be available for use across a wider set of programmes.”

Training Allowance

1. Will trainees be eligible for training allowance if they do not complete the programmes?

Trainees will only be eligible for training allowance for the months in which they attend training and meet the minimum attendance requirement. The training allowance will be discontinued once the trainee leaves the programme, including early exit due to job placement.

There is no proration of the training allowance for trainees who leave after completing a partial month of training.

2. When and how will trainees receive their monthly training allowance?

Trainees will receive their training allowance at the beginning of the subsequent month via PayNow. Trainees will need to have a PayNow account linked to their NRIC. Prior to payment, training providers will also need to verify that the trainees have fulfilled the minimum attendance requirement for each month.

For training programmes that commence in the middle of the calendar month, the training allowance for the first and last calendar months of the programme will be pro-rated as follows:

Programme Start Date	Training allowance for first month	Training allowance for last month
1st to 15th of month	Full-month training allowance	No training allowance
16th to 31st of month	Half-month training allowance	Half-month training allowance

Hiring Incentives

1. What hiring incentives are available to employers?

As announced by DPM Heng on 17 Aug 2020, the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) was introduced to provide support to companies to encourage them to hire more Singaporeans and provide more good jobs amidst the current labour market.
a. Under the JGI, the Government will co-pay up to 25% of salaries of all new local hires between Sep 2020 and Sep 2021 for one year, subject to a cap.
b. For those aged 40 and above, the co-payment to employers will be up to 50% for 18 months.
More information on the JGI is available on IRAS’ website.
For more information on how to apply for the hiring incentive, please visit the Enterprise Portal for Jobs & Skills.

For any other questions, please contact us at ask.scale@nus.edu.sg.